Amy & Louie's "Big Fat Italian-Portu-Greek" Wedding
Amy & Louie's wedding was a celebration of their unique cultural backgrounds - Italian, Portuguese, and Greek! It was a "Big Fat Italian-Portu-Greek" wedding, full of delicious food, music, and dancing. From the traditional Greek kourabiedes cookies to the stunning bride in her stunning white gown, it was a day full of beautiful memories. Photos of the day were taken to capture the love, joy, and fun of this special occasion.
Louie looked dashing in his Surmesur custom suit on the wedding day. The morning of the wedding, his house was full of all the people that love him and his bride. His high school buddies, to his University friends, who attended the wedding, it was obvious Louie had a lot of friends. Louie played football for Windsor University where he met his University friends, who have become his lifelong friends. With his father being Greek and his mom, Italian, there were both traditions celebrated at the house - they even broke out the Greek dancing! It was a lot of fun capturing these special moments leading up to the wedding ceremony.
Amy was a picture of sophistication and elegance. Her family is Portuguese, and the house was calm and quite a bit (well a lot) quieter than the groom's house in the morning. Everything about her was beautiful, from her custom made dress by Diane's Bridal, to her calm demeanor. Her bridesmaids and parents were all lovely to be around, and it made the house a perfect place to take some amazing bridal portraits. Amy's dress was absolutely gorgeous, and perfectly captured the wintery fairytale wedding look that she had been dreaming of. Amy was truly a sight to behold, and her beauty radiated through her bridal portraits.
Amy & Louie decided to have a traditional Greek ceremony, which was held at the stunning Prophet Elias Church, full of gold accents and white walls. Amy's mom, Maria, made sure to make the day extra special by hand making the crowns (Stefana) and candles for the ceremony.
The Stefana are wedding crowns that are placed onto the bride and groom during the ceremony. They are joined by a ribbon, symbolizing the unity of the couple and the presence of Christ who blesses and joins the couple. The Stefana establish the couple as the King and Queen of their home, reminding them to rule with wisdom, justice and integrity.
At the end of the ceremony, the guests greeted Amy & Louie outside the church with cheers and applause, and showered them with rice. Throwing rice at the couple is a tradition which symbolizes luck and fertility for the newlyweds. It was such a touching moment that all were moved to tears.
Amy and Lou are both elementary school teachers, so it was fitting to photograph their bridal portraits at Black Creek Pioneer Village—a place that was very familiar to them, as they have been on numerous excursions there. On this cold November day, the atmosphere of the village was calm and peaceful. With hardly anyone around, all you could hear was the rustling of leaves and the wind blowing gently.
We ventured around the village and Amy and Lou effortlessly fit into their surroundings. The couple’s love for each other shone through in each of their bridal portraits; they were the perfect pair. Even though it was a chilly day, they were always smiling, warmly embracing one another, and laughing together. Capturing these moments was truly magical.
The wedding reception was held at the beautiful Bellagio Event and Boutique Venue. Amy & Lou's first dance song was a slowed down remake of Daryl Hall and John Oates' classic hit "You Make my Dreams Come True". As they swayed to the music and embraced each other, their love was felt throughout the entire room.
The wedding was an homage to both of their backgrounds: Italian, Portuguese and Greek. The music featured performances by Portugese guitarist Simon Arruda, Italian organetto player Marco Ritacca, and Greek Bouzouki player Spyro Galetos.
Amy even sang a special song for her groom. Her passionate singing was nothing short of angelic. The crowd cheered with excitement as Amy sang her heart out!
The wedding reception was a night of joy and celebration, full of energy and laughter. What a PARTY! It truly was an unforgettable day for Amy & Lou, one that will stay in their hearts forever.
We were so fortunate to have the chance to meet Amy and Louie at a summer outing with their good friends. After that initial meeting, we knew we would be great friends, and soon enough, they hired Butterfly Kisses Photography to shoot their wedding.
It was truly an honour for us to capture such an important milestone in their lives. The day was simply beautiful and filled with so much love from family and friends. We had such an incredible time capturing all the special moments of their big day.
We wish them a lifetime of love and happiness together. We also hope that our relationship continues to grow as we continue to capture all the amazing milestones that they will experience together. From the bottom of our hearts, we want to wish Amy and Louie all the best. We love you!
Photographer
Hair & Makeup
Bridal
Bridal Shoes
Groom & Groomsmen Suits
Groom Shoes & Accessories
Church
Transportation
Cinematography
Venue
Sound & Lighting
Guitarist Performance
Italian Organetto
Greek Bouzouki
Floral & Decor
Vinyl Floor
Cake & Late Night Desserts
